Report to Congress: Young Adults and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning to Adulthood

A new Report to Congress compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds there is a critical need for research and better coordinated services targeted to youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are transitioning to adulthood. In an April 2017 blog, we noted that about 50,000 youth with ASD turn 18 each year, with about 450,000 total aged 16-24 years old living in the United States today. A major finding of the report is that there are very few federal resources that specifically target youth and young adults with ASD transitioning to adulthood. A recent portfolio analysis from the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) also found that issues related to transition age youth and adults comprised only 2 percent of all autism research funding, both federal and private, in 2015. To learn more about the need for more resources for those with Autism, view the full report.